Hamilton: "Tyre choice for Verstappen makes the race more interesting"

It was a striking choice of Max Verstappen during the second part of the qualifying on Saturday. The Dutchman chose to qualify on the hardest tyre for the third session. As a result, the Red Bull Racing driver will start on that hardest tyre, which could give an advantage in the race.

Both drivers of Mercedes had made the choice to drive on the yellow mediums during that second qualifying session. This gives Verstappen a slight advantage in the first stint of the race. According to Valtteri Bottas, who starts on pole for the Grand Prix, the option of the hardest tyre in qualifying never passed. "It hasn't come past in the discussions with the team in any case," said the Finn in the press conference after the qualification.

Lewis Hamilton expects that Verstappen will take advantage of the white belt. "I think it's a good decision. It will make a difference which will make the race more interesting". For Nico Hülkenberg it is already a surprise that he is in the top three of qualifying, where he managed to finish ahead of Verstappen. The racing driver of Racing Point expects that Verstappen will be able to keep up with the Mercedes'.

"The hardest tyre is working very well on this track so far, so I don't think it's a bad option for him," Hulkenberg explains. The German thinks that Verstappen has a chance of good classification if he can connect with the drivers of Mercedes. "I think it's really going to work for him, as long as he doesn't lose the connection with the rest".